


The Fabulous Suitehearts

by AgentLin



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: America's Suitehearts AU, Blood Diamond (OC), Emo Quarter AU, Emo Trinity AU, Gen, Killjoys AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-10-10 12:25:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17425862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentLin/pseuds/AgentLin
Summary: The car settled and the sandstorm cleared up. It was quiet, but everyone jumped when they noticed Kobra standing next to the car. He knocked on the side door window, gesturing for them all to get out of the car. No one moved, just watching Kobra walk off suddenly becoming aware of the person in black standing a few feet in front of the car, and the glass buildings behind them. They slowly got out of the car.“Kobra...” Party felt uneasy. “What’s going on?”“We did it! We found it!”“Found what?”“The Circus!”“Sorry if I freaked you out.” The person in black said. “Just gotta be cautious with who we let in.”“Let in?” Star questioned. “What are you talking about? Those buildings behind you?”“Yup.”The killjoys gathered around Kobra, who seemed very excited. The others remained confused, the girl hiding behind Party.“So you in charge of this place?” Party asked. “You’re the ringleader?”“I’ve never actually been called that, but yes, I’m one of the ringleaders here. You can call me Mr. Sandman, welcome to the Circus.”





	1. Chapter 1

“Blood Diamond, my usual please.”

    The bell rang as Kobra Kid walked into the shop, eyes immediately looking at the shelves behind the counter. The black curtain to his right parted and a woman with cotton candy pink hair walked out. She smiled at Kobra.

“It’s been a while, I was wondering when you were gonna come back.”

“Can’t stay away when you make the best shit to get fucked up with.”

“If you know what to mix it’s not that hard. Although, I could always kill you.”

“How about you don’t.”

    Party Poison walked in with the others in tow. He made his way to the counter, Kobra going off to look around the shop like the others were.

“I would never do such a thing. I’m a professional, I know what I’m doing.”

    Diamond grabbed a stone bowl and grinder from under the counter, along with some jars of herbs, making sure not to drop one of the crystal balls that were around. She then grabbed some other jars from the shelves behind her. She had some leaves, roots, pedals, and whatever else she needed, putting them into the bowl. She grinded them together.

“How are the zones?”

“The same.” Party said. “How’s the shop?”

“Quiet on most days.”

“Probably has to do with the fact that not many people know you exist.”

“I can’t trust everyone now can I? I got a lot of plants here that I don’t want lose.”

“You need protection then?”

    Party leaned across the counter, a suggestive grin on his face. Diamond laughed and pushed his face away from her.

“I can take care of myself and my shop, just try me.”

“With what you do I rather not. You can probably eat some leaves and become super strong.”

“Maybe I can.” She chuckled. “Did you guys come all the way over here for Kobra’s fix or do you need something else?”

“Depends on what you got.”

“Well, I can get you guys some medical stuff, help ease the pain of bone aches or sooth open wounds. Got leaves that you can chew on to calm down your hunger or maybe you want some actual food.”

“Whatcha got to eat then?”

“Meat. I was thinking of some good old fashion burgers tonight.”

“Bullshit, you don’t have meat.”

“If you don’t want to believe me that’s your loss.”

Party squinted at her. “How’d you get it?”

“Tell ya what, stick around for the food and I’ll reveal my secret.”

    A little girl approached the counter. She seemed rather shy. She looked up at Diamond and smiled before looking down, staying close to Party.

“Um… who’s the kid? One of yours?”

“What!? No. She’s a friend.”

“Well she’s a cute one.” Diamond leaned over the counter. “Hey there, the pink shelf in the back, the jars have some sweets. Go pick a jar and bring it over so I can pack some up for you.”

    She perked up a bit and rushed over to where she had been told.

“So how much do I owe you for all this?”

“You know the payment for Kobra’s stuff.” She packed up the grinded up herbs into a small bag. “As for the food and sweets, on the house.”

“Nah, gotta pay you for all that.”

“Pay me for the food with your company. It does get lonely out here you know, and I mean company at the table, nowhere else.”

“Well now you’re just teasing.”

    She rolled her eyes and called Kobra over to get what he came for. Party handed over the carbons. Then the girl came up and put a jar on the counter, a big smile on her face. Diamond opened up the jar, the sweet smell getting into the air.

“Smells great doesn’t it.”

    The two giggled and Diamond packed up some sweets for the girl. She handed the girl the bag but Party grabbed it and put it in his pocket.

“You can have that after you eat something.”

    She glared a bit and then went off to Kobra.

“Awe, didn’t know you could be a dad.”

“Shut up.”

“You know having a kid around isn’t the best idea. Especially out here in the zones.”

“What? Want me to leave her at Battery City?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then are you offering to take her in?”

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad. I could teach her all I know, have a protege, but that’s not what I was talking about. I meant the Circus.”

“The Circus? Those still exist?”

“Not the old circus thing you’re thinking about. The Circus is this rumored safe haven outside the zones.”

“Outside the zones? That’s even more dangerous.”

“How would you even get there?” Kobra walked over and joined in the conversation. “Is there a treasure map?”

“It’s probably not even real.” Party said.

“Doesn’t answer my question. So, Diamond, what’s the story here?”

“Well, the rumor says the Circus is outside the zones, north of Battery City.”

“Alright, how do you find it?”

“That’s the thing, you don’t find it, it finds you.”

“See. It’s just some story, create false hope and get people to wander the desert outside the zones.” Party commented. “Wouldn’t be surprised if BLI spread that around themselves.”

“Whatever. I heard something about food earlier.”

“Yeah. Why don’t you guys come to the back and settle in, I’ll get to cooking.”

“Great cause I am starving.”

    The Killjoys weren’t just regular customers at the shop, but friends with Diamond. She provided them with a lot, at a low price, and over the years they’ve just gotten friendly with each other. They’ve spent time at her place before so when she invited them into the back they knew where to go.

    Despite living alone Diamond had a pretty big home. The living room area was big, a few couches around and a dining table that could seat eight off to the left. The killjoys quickly made themselves at home, Kobra setting the girl down on one of the bean bag chairs and collapsing into the one next to her. Star and Ghoul sat down on a couch, grabbing a deck of cards from the coffee table. Party stayed in the shop with Diamond, helping her clean up. The two then joined the others.

“I still don’t get why you have so many plants.” Ghoul said as the pair joined them. “I get the ones in the greenhouse but the ones here? Seems like a waste of water.”

“I like them. They have a nice scent which can create a calming atmosphere. Maybe giving you water is a waste.”

“I would disagree.”

“My plants might disagree with you.” Diamond laughed. “I’ll be in the kitchen, so don’t break anything.”

    Ghoul put down a royal flush and ran after Diamond, following her into the kitchen.

“What’s on the menu? Cause I heard something about burgers and I don’t believe you.”

“Then don’t eat.”

“Come on, do you have cows here or something?”

“No. Now get out of my kitchen or you’re not eating.”

“Anything? At all? I mean, I’m sure you’re plants are edib-”

Diamond threw an apple at him. “Chew on that until I finish! You’re just delaying the food.”

“And what else am I delaying?”

“If you leave right now you might just delay your demise.”

“Got it, talk at the table.”

♦♦♦♦♦

“I can’t remember the last time I had a burger.” Star said.

    Diamond chuckled and placed down a plate of burgers at the center of the table. Just as expected they quickly grabbed one, or two, and began eating. The joy on their faces was priceless, even the girl seemed happy.

“Holy fuck this can’t be real.” Kobra said between mouth fulls. “You doing some weird herbal shit right?”

Diamond shrugged. “Or I have a cow.”

“You told me earlier you don’t.” Ghoul added.

“I guess you do believe everything that comes out of my mouth.”

“I mean, those are some sweet lips.”

“Oh, okay, if that’s how it is then you get the fuck out of here.”

“No, I was joking, Diamond. I swear, I wouldn’t dare cross you. You’d ghost me in my sleep.”

“I assure you I could ghost you right now.”

“No, no, we’re good.” Star cut in. “He just doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up.”

“He never does.” Party added. “So apologize.”

“I’m sorry BD, I let my mouth run. Anyway I can make it up to you?”

“You can do the dishes.”

    Everyone at the table started laughing. Ghoul bit his lip, looking down at his plate. Party hit his shoulder playfully.

“Alright… fair.”

“Good. Cause the kitchen is a mess.”

“Huh?”

“The kitchen is a mess, and when you clean it everything better be spotless.”

“I promise.”

“So, stepping away from the humiliation.” Kobra cut in. “Diamond, what else do you know the Circus?”

“Circus?” Star asked.

“It’s some sorta paradise.”

“Here we go again. It’s just a lie.” Party said. “Some rumored safe haven north of Battery City outside the zones.”

“Outside the zones?” Ghoul asked. “I didn’t think anything could survive out there.”

“Nothing can, it’s just some rumor, there is no Circus.”

“How can you be so sure?” Diamond asked.

“How can you be so sure? Have you ever been there?”

“Well…”

“Exactly.”

“We could at least try.” Kobra added.

“Try what?”

“Going to the Circus?”

“That would be a waste of time, not to mention dangerous.”

“Not exactly.” Star said.

“What? Do you seriously think that place is real?”

“No, but going outside the zones isn’t a bad idea.”

“I agree with Party.” Ghoul said. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“What? You don’t think BLI is constantly trying to find us? Going outside the zones could help throw them off our trail.”

“Going outside the zones is stupid.” Party said.

“I’m not talking about going far. We just pack some supplies, head outside the zones for a few days then come back using another route. BLI hates us and hunts us, but even they won’t go outside the zones.”

“And while we do that, we go looking for the Circus, right?” Kobra questioned.

“Yeah, it’s a win for everyone.”

“That’s if we go outside the zones.” Ghoul said. “Party? Your call.”

    The table had gotten quiet, all eyes on Party, well except for the girl sitting next to him. She wasn’t paying attention, just enjoying her burger and fresh orange juice. She noticed the silence then looked up at Party and smiled. He smiled back, he didn’t know if that safe haven was real but he owed it to the girl to at least find out.

“We’re going to need fuel Diamond, and food, think you can do that?”

“Sure.”

“Yes.” Kobra cheered. “We’re going to the Circus.”

“If it’s even real.” Ghoul added. “And even then it’s not like we’re going to find it.”

“It can find us though.”

“If you say so.”

“Wait don’t you have kitchen duty, Ghoul?” Star asked.

“He does.” Diamond cut in. “So get to it, please.”

“On it.”

    Ghoul excused himself from the table, grabbing empty plates and going to the kitchen.

“Wait.” Kobra said. “So what did we just eat?”

“I feel like maybe we don’t want to know.” Star said.

“It’s not anything bad.” Diamond said. “I swear. It’s just cooked up soybeans. Make it right and you make soy meat, people don’t really notice the difference, hence the burgers.”

“Can we have some of those for the road?” Party asked.

“Sure, along with some fruit, unless you don’t want to be healthy.”

“No we do. Although I also gotta ask, can we crash here for the night? I was thinking it’s best if we leave tomorrow morning.”

“That’s fine, as long as you guys don’t cause trouble.”

“Then you might wanna tie up Kobra and Ghoul for the night.” Star added.

“I heard that!” Ghoul yelled from the kitchen.

“Yeah, not cool Star.”

Party laughed. “I’ll keep everyone out of trouble.”

“Good. Then make yourselves comfortable. I’ll bring over some extra sheets and pillows.”

“Also keep track of how much I’ll owe you.”

“You don’t-”

“I do, I can’t take advantage of your kindness, you might run out.”

“Fine, it’ll just be fifty percent off.”

“That I can accept.”

    The killjoys settled in for the night. Party made sure everyone was alright and tucked the girl in, who settled on the couch. He then went to look for Diamond, ultimately finding her sitting outside the front of her shop.

“You some sorta night owl?”

Diamond looked back at Party and smiled. “Sometimes, I slept in a bit today so I’m not tired yet.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“Sure, when you’re this far out in the zones, the night sky is filled with stars.”

Party looked up. “It’s beautiful. Not something you take notice of often.”

“Well, when you’re running for your life I suppose not.”

“Tell me, what else do you know about this Circus?”

“I thought you didn’t believe in it.”

“We’re going to look for it aren’t we?.”

“Because Kobra begged and Star told you how it would benefit. It’s about the girl right?”

    Party sighed and sat down next to Diamond. He looked up at the sky.

“You were right, we shouldn’t have her with us but there’s never been anywhere safe for her. Legend or not, this Circus gives me hope of letting her have a normal life, or whatever passes for normal now. So if it’s real, I want to be sure I find it.”

“Well, you don’t find it-”

“It finds you. Yes, I know.”

“Okay, smartass, from what I’ve heard… you can’t really go outside the zones looking for it. It’s like, you need to be worthy, and if the Circus thinks you are, it will welcome you.”

“So no treasure map with directions to a mysterious cave?”

“No, I think the Circus is far more mysterious. You’ve got a good heart, I think you’ll find it.”

“We’ll see. Thanks for letting us crash here for the night.”

“My pleasure, always happy to help a friend.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“I haven’t crunched the numbers so I’ll charge you in the morning.”

“Fine. I’ll turn in, so, goodnight.”

“Night.”

♦♦♦♦♦

    In the morning Ghoul and Kobra packed up the car. The girl was in the front seat with Star, being taught how to drive. Party handed Diamond some carbons, then opened up a map of the zones on the hood of the car planning out the drive.

“Here’s the plan.” Party said, Ghoul and Kobra at his side and Star listening from the car. “Take a day to drive as far as we can north outside the zones, then rest for the night. Next morning we take a long way around coming back to the zones from the northeast.”

    They all agreed, finished their packing and got into the car. Just as they were about to leave Diamond came out, wanting to see them off.

“No breakfast?”

“We can eat on the way.” Party said. “Thanks for everything.”

“No problem, but I do want to give you something, for the trip.”

“A present?”

“I guess you can see it like that.” She handed Party a small glass sphere.

“I didn’t know you were a fortune teller.”

“Well, I see success in your future. Stay out of trouble, okay.”

“Trouble finds us!” Ghoul shouted from the car.

“Let’s go we’re burning daylight.” Kobra yelled.

“He makes a valid point.” Diamond chuckled. “Safe trip.”

    Party joined the others in the car, Star at the wheel, and they drove off. It wasn’t long before they were outside the zones. One would think that in and out of zones would be the same, but there was a huge difference. Despite the sand there was life in the zones, Dr. Death-Defying over the radio, keeping the zoners safe, the wild parties, the noise of people living, but outside that didn’t exist. There was quiet and there was never ending sand for miles.

    It was strange, and over time became rather uncomfortable.The killjoys played music with some old cds they had but it only helped for so long. Whenever they stopped to rest they could truly take in the emptiness that surrounded them. They stayed in the car, the heat slightly more unbearable outside the zones.

“I’m starting to think this was a bad idea.” Star said.

“You should have kept your mouth shut then.” Ghoul commented. “Maybe we wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere. What was the point of this again?”

“To find the Circus.” Kobra stated.

“I meant the real reason?”

“Lose a tail.” Star added.

“A tail I’m starting to think never existed. If they did, and they followed us out here, we’d all be dead.”

“Now everyone calm down.” Party cut in. “If you need to chill you can get out of the car, plenty of room out there to be petty. No takers? Then shut up. We’re out here, we’re alone, so we got no tail.”

“We should just start heading back you know. We know we’re not being followed.” Ghoul said.

“But we haven’t found the Circus!” Kobra exclaimed.

“It’s not real. It’s a fairy tale that can get us killed.”

“Party said a days drive out here, and spend a night, then we go back. The days not over yet, so, if Star wants a break I volunteer to drive.”

“Be my guest.” Star said.

    Star got out of the driver’s seat switching with Kobra and sitting in the back with Ghoul and the girl. Kobra plopped behind the wheel, smiling at Party then starting up the car again. They tried to pass the time but being stuck in a car for hours could get irritating. The next time they stopped it wasn’t cause they wanted to. A sandstorm had started up around them.

    It wasn't so bad at first, just a bit of wind, roll up the windows to avoid sand getting in everyone’s face, but it got worse. Before anyone could make a comment Party said he would kick whoever complained out of the car, it was quiet.

“How long do these things usually last?” Kobra asked.

“Hours.” Star said. “Can’t see much, not even the sky, when this settles it could be night.”

“No, that’s not fair.”

“You said yourself.” Ghoul said. “We drive out for a day, if a sandstorm takes up the rest of the day, too bad.”

“You shut-”

Party placed a hand on Kobra’s chest. “No fighting in the car! Or I swear one of you can ride back in the trunk.”

    The two boys settled down. Before, despite the sand they could still see the sky and feel the wind, now there was nothing but sand, in every direction. Kobra glared at Ghoul through the rear view mirror, but he then leaned forward, looking out at the sandstorm.

“Did you guys see that?”

“See what?” Star asked.

“Kobra’s already gone mad, no surprise.” Ghoul added.

“I swear I saw something, no, someone, out there.”

“Someone? Not possible, this place is truly a desert, nothing living for miles.”

“I’m serious. I’ll prove it.”

    Kobra opened up the door, getting out. The wind slammed it shut, everyone starting to worry. He put his hand up to keep sand out of his eyes, walking out into the storm.

“Kobra!”

    Party tried to follow him but the storm had gotten stronger, he couldn’t push the door open. Then the car began to shake, and Kobra was nowhere in sight. It seemed like everything was going to get worse but everything suddenly stopped.

    The car settled and the sandstorm cleared up. It was quiet, but everyone jumped when they noticed Kobra standing next to the car. He knocked on the side door window, gesturing for them all to get out of the car. No one moved, just watching Kobra walk off suddenly becoming aware of the person in black standing a few feet in front of the car, and the glass buildings behind them. They slowly got out of the car.

“Kobra...” Party felt uneasy. “What’s going on?”

“We did it! We found it!”

“Found what?”

“The Circus!”

“Sorry if I freaked you out.” The person in black said. “Just gotta be cautious with who we let in.”

“Let in?” Star questioned. “What are you talking about? The buildings behind you?”

“Yup.”

    The killjoys gathered around Kobra, who seemed very excited. The others remained confused, the girl hiding behind Party.

“So you in charge of this place?” Party asked. “You’re the ringleader?”

“I’ve never actually been called that, but yes, I’m one of the ringleaders here. You can call me Mr. Sandman, welcome to the Circus.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Before we go in I’m going to need to confiscate your weapons. You can get them back when you chose to leave.”

    The killjoys all looked at each other but complied, handing over their laser guns. Sandman smiled and gestured for them to follow him. As they walked in a glass pedestal rose from the ground, Sandman place their weapons on it, and they were then in cased in class. The pedestal then sunk into the ground, burying itself beneath the sand.

“What the fuck was that?” Ghoul asked.

“His powers!” Kobra said excitedly. “He’s called Mr. Sandman for a reason.”

“That’s very formal, but you can call me that if you want. Others just call me Sandman, or Sandy.”

“So you can manipulate sand?” Star questioned. “And therefore glass, and anything else that’s made of sand.”

“Yup, pretty cool right?”

“Hell yeah!” Kobra exclaimed. “I never thought you’d end up having such awesome powers!”

“You two are already so friendly.” Party pointed out. “And you barely met.”

“We know him Party, don’t you remember? Before the wars, we lived next door to each other. We hung out, played some music.”

    Party stared at Sandman, getting a smile out of him. It took him a moment but then he saw it. He smirked and the the two embraced.

“I thought you were dead.”

“I thought the same, which is why I’m so glad to see you two again. Never thought I would.”

“Is that why you let us in?” Star asked. “Cause you three knew each other?”

“No. I know who you guys are, I’ve heard the tales of the fabulous killjoys. I also noticed the girl in your car. Figured you were out here following the legend of the Circus, wanting to get her somewhere safe.”

“A place made entirely of glass doesn’t seem so safe.” Ghoul added.

“It’s not just any glass, it’s my glass.”

“That doesn’t make me feel safer.”

“Alright.”

    Sandman walked over to the gutter, it was filled with sand, and pulled out a glass sphere. He then tossed it to Ghoul.

“Throw that as hard as you can against any glass surface. Heck, smash it on the ground if you want.”

    Ghoul looked at the sphere, then at the others. He shrugged and then threw the sphere against the nearest glass wall. Instead of an explosion of glass, sand fell to the floor, the wall had no cracks. Everyone looked at the pile of sand then looked back at Sandman.

“I make the glass with fail safes.” Sandman said. “If it ever breaks it just turns to sand, no danger of getting hurt from glass shards. And the buildings are made to be very strong, and made of one way glass.”

“Okay.” Ghoul said. “That’s pretty cool.”

“Since you control sand, you made that sandstorm we were just in?” Party questioned. “And with those powers I guess it’s not so hard to keep this place hidden.”

“You got it. I’m basically in charge of security here.”

“Well you got a great hiding spot.” Star said. “So, how do you maintain this place?”

“Not by myself. Come on, I’ll take you guys on a tour and explain.”

    The killjoys followed Sandman on his tour. The Circus was a small town, and constantly expanding. They had a steady water supply and grew their own food, so they were self sustaining. They used solar energy to run electricity where needed, mostly used to preserve food, provided cool air, and light at night.

“This place is where we grow our food.”

    They came to a field, it looked like farm land, where a lot was growing. There were trees and bushes and sprouts from the ground. Other people were around, watering the plants and picking out food. After a moment a man dressed in green approached.

“Sandman, didn’t know we were getting new people.”

“Neither did I. Killjoys, this is Donnie the Catcher. He’s in charge of our food and water.”

“Donnie is just fine, but are you guys really the killjoys? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Didn’t know we were so popular in the Circus.” Party commented.

“Well, many of the people who live here are originally from the zones.” Sandman said. “They always have stories to tell, kids love hearing about you guys.”

“Nice to know our reputation follows us everywhere.” Kobra added.

“Anyway.” Donnie said. “Welcome to the Circus. This is pretty much like a communal farm. Everyone helps out and takes what they need on a day to day basis. Once you guys settle in I can show you more. So, what did Horseshoe say about you?”

“Horseshoe?” Star asked. “Who’s that?”

“Oh yeah…”Sandman rubbed the back of his neck. “I probably should have introduced them to him first. My bad.”

“Go talk to him.” Donnie said. “Before things get bad.”

“What do mean?” Party questioned. “We’re not gonna cause trouble.”

“I trust you.” Sandman said. “But we just need to be sure, come on.”

    Donnie waved them off and got back to work. The killjoys followed Sandman.

“So who is this Horseshoe dude?” Kobra asked.

“He’s our technician. He makes sure the electricity here keeps running and all that.”

“And why do we have to meet him?”

“I guess you can say he’s kinda psychic.”

“Psychic? Really?” Ghoul scoffed.

“Look, he’s pretty much the luckiest man alive. Nothing’s ever gone wrong for him, so we all trust his judgement when it comes to letting people in. He hasn’t been wrong yet.”

“What happens if he says we should go?” Party asked. “You gonna kick us out.”

“Are you going to punch me if I say yes?”

“If you’re an asshole about it.”

“Whatever Horseshoe says is what I’ll do. I do want to catch up with you, but I gotta think about the Circus first.”

“I get it. What you have here, it needs to be protected.”

    They came to another building, scraps of metal scattered around the outside. They went in, finding themselves in this workshop. Everyone inside looked at them for a moment, greeting Sandman but then getting back to whatever they were working on. Sandman asked about Horseshoe and was told he was in the back.

“Horseshoe!” Sandman called. “Got some new people here for you.”

    A man dressed in red popped out from behind a desk, torch in one hand, apple in the other. He smiled and put the torch down, coming over and biting into his apple.

“Killjoys, this is Horseshoe Crab, head of technology in the Circus.”

“You can call me that, or just Horseshoe, or Shoe, or Crab, or what the kids love, Mr. Crabs.”

“I think Horseshoe is just fine.” Ghoul said. “You’re the judge here, so judge us.”

“Feisty one, you’re Fun Ghoul right?”

“Yes.”

“And serious dude over there, Jet Star. Red jacket means Kobra Kid and red hair means Party Poison, pleasure to meet you all.”

“Agree.” Party said. “So, are we trouble?”

“Out in the zones I hear you’re a lot of trouble for BLI.” Horseshoe looked at the girl and smiled. “But in here… you’ll be okay. I’m sensing a little trouble, you do call yourselves killjoys after all, but nothing to warrant throwing you out. Welcome to the Circus.”

“Thanks.”

“Enjoy your stay, now I gotta get back to work. Also don’t forget I’m going scavenging tomorrow Sandy.”

“I know. Come on, let’s get out of his hair.”

“My hair is awesome.”

“We know Shoe. Another thing for you guys, Donnie, Shoe, our local doctor and I are the heads around here. The people tend to call us the suitehearts.”

“So the people here gave you a name?” Ghoul asked. “And they call you the suitehearts?”

“You’d think since this place is called the Circus they’d call you ringleaders or something circus related.” Star said. “But the other makes sense, you provided them with a great kindness.”

    They all made their way out of the place. That was mostly the tour so Sandman took them over to another building, he engraved the name ‘killjoys’ on the door and had them follow him inside. Furniture was already in place and bedrooms were upstairs.

“This place is yours.”

“Wait really?” Kobra asked. “Just like that?”

“Yeah. Horseshoe approves and it’s what you came here for right?”

“Well, yes.” Party said. “I just don’t know about-”

“I get it. You guys got stuff to do in the zones. What I mean is that you always got a place here. When you go back to the zones you can always come back here, there’ll be a bed waiting for you guys.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. I got some things to do but I think you can find your way around. You know where to get food and who to go bother about technical problems. Oh, if you need medical stuff, our doctor is located in the east, big cross on their door.”

“Sandman, seriously, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we still got a lot of catching up to do.”

    Sandman told them about places they could go to get other house necessities then headed out and Kobra followed him.

“Wait up.”

“What’s up Kobra?”

“Nothing, just thought I could tag along. Been years and I can settle in later.”

“Alright, we can talk afterwards.”

“Great.”

♦♦♦♦♦

    Sandman and Kobra went around the Circus, checking in on the people and fixing up anything that needed fixing. Afterwards the two were up on a rooftop, looking out over the town and then the desert. They talked about the past, what had happened to them during the wars and how they ended up where they were now.

“So you got super powers out of all this.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s all that great.”

“Why not? I mean, why leave the zones, with your powers you could have been a king, no, you would be a god.”

“And BLI would hunt me down. I might be able to protect myself but I can’t possibly protect everyone close to me. If I were a god in the zones, I think I’d be very lonely.”

“Alright, you make a fair point. So, why go out into the desert?”

“I kinda just wanted peace. Stumbled upon this place, had water, a place to grow food, it was perfect. Although, turns out Donnie had been following me. We lived quietly, but, we both knew we could do more. I learned more about my powers and together we started building the Circus. We took turns going back to the zones, finding people who needed help. I found Horseshoe, another old friend of mine, trusted him and brought him here. Honestly we had our struggles but once we got him, things stabilized.”

“Okay he really does sound like a lucky charm for you. Especially since he goes out scavenging?”

“Yeah, we need parts and we’re always growing. He usually heads out to the zones with a group, sometimes to Battery City.”

“Is he fucken crazy?”

“He always comes back. Trust me, I’ve seen a lot happen with him, the dude is a walking four leaf clover. I’m lucky to have him.”

“Of course you are.”

    They both laughed. Thankfully their reunion wasn’t really awkward and it was easy to pick up where they left off.

“How do your powers work? Can you feel like every grain of sand?”

“Kinda? I’m not one hundred percent sure. I mean, in regards to the glass, it all… feels different. The buildings are strong and specifically one way glass so that has a certain feel, mirrors have a different feel, so does colored glass and so forth. It took me a while to figure out how to make it too. One day I just found a mirror and realized I could turn it into sand. It took me weeks before I could do the opposite.”

“If the wars caused this, how come more people don’t have super powers?”

“They weren’t throwing around radioactive waste. They were just burning everything, it was a war, and BLI won.”

“Battery City sucks, what they do to the people. It’s horrendous.”

“I don’t think that was their original plan, they got their hands on some tech that messes with your head.”

“Wait what? That wasn’t theirs?”

“I don’t think so, I’ve heard this other cult had that kinda tech back in 2013. They were stopped but BLI must have gotten their hands on that tech or something, not sure how the story goes.”

“Well what do you know about that cult?”

“Not much, I they were against music, it was run by women, and these defenders-”

    Sandman suddenly stopped talking, standing up. Kobra got up too, looking at his friend.

“Are you okay?”

“Somethings wrong.”


	3. Chapter 3

    The others were fine with Kobra going with Sandman. They stayed put, they did have a house to explore and settle into. It was nice and easy to get comfortable in.

“So, are we sticking to the original plan or?” Star questioned. “I mean, we found the Circus so that changes things right?”

“It does, and this place ain’t so bad.” Ghoul said.

“It’s safe.” Party said. “But we still have a responsibility to the zones.”

“I know this isn’t permanent, it’s just some place we can actually call home.”

“You don’t like the car?”

“I don’t have a bed in there.”

Party chuckled. “Star, how long should we stay?”

“Well, if this place is ours we should get used to it and explore. Meet people, well, they know us, so maybe just socialize. Let’s get comfortable here and then it’ll be easier to go back and forth.”

“Alright, then let’s do that.”

“I know where we can start.” Ghoul said.

“Where?”

“Doctor, she looks sick.”

    Party and Star looked over at the girl, she was sitting on the couch, arms wrapped around her stomach. Party rushed over, she didn’t have a fever but she looked uncomfortable.

“Does it hurt?” She shook her head. “Have you been like this for a while?” This time she nodded. “Okay, let’s go see the doctor. Where do we find them?”

“Sandman said they’re in the east, giant cross outside their door.”

“Let’s go.”

    The group made their way out, heading over to where the doctor was. It wasn’t so hard to find. When they walked in the place was similar to Diamond’s shop. Shelves full of herbs and other medical stuff, although there were definitely a lot more glass orbs around.

“I’ll be out in a minute.” Someone called from behind the counter.

    The others looked around the shop before the doctor came over. A man dressed in yellow came into the room. When he saw them he stopped, looking a bit nervous.

“You’re… new, right?”

“Yes.” Party said. “We just got here earlier today.”

“Oh, Sandman didn’t say, but, can I guess, killjoys?”

“That’s us.” Ghoul said. “Well, minus one right now.”

“Well, nice to meet you, how can I help?”

“She’s the one who needs help.”

    Party placed his hands on the girls shoulders, giving her an assuring smile. The doctor brought over a stool so she could sit while he looked her over.

“No fever or flu. Has she eaten anything?”

“No.” Star said. “Not for a few hours at least.”

“Well, she’s not hungry, but she definitely ate something that upset her stomach. Okay, well, only one thing makes sense.” The doctor looked at the girl. “Have you had any sweets?”

    The girl looked over at Party who then checked his pockets. He found the bag of sweets Diamond had given her before, but it was empty.

“She has.” Party said. “I’d be mad but you snuck it off me without knowing. So, points to you.”

    The girl smiled, glad they weren’t mad at her for eating all that sugar.

“So she just had a lot of sweets, if that’s the case then she’ll be fine. I can give her some tea right now to help her stomach settle.”

“That’d be great.”

“Be right back then.”

    The doctor disappeared behind the counter again. Ghoul ruffled the girls hair, asking her how and when she got the sweets off Party. After a moment the doctor came back and handed her a cup of tea, he told them they could stay until she felt better. He disappeared behind the counter again and after a while a woman came in. The doctor came back out, greeting her.

“Ally, good to see you, is everything okay with Jason?”

“Oh yes, he’s much better. I came here about my throat, it hasn’t really gotten any better. Sometimes it’s not so bad but other days it’s worse.”

“I see, well.” He grabbed a small box from behind him and filled it with red leaves. “Let’s try these for your tea. It’s a bit stronger but it should do the trick, if it doesn’t come back tomorrow and we’ll try something else.”

“Perfect, thank you so much doctor Benzedrine.”

“No problem.”

    She smiled on her way out. Once she was gone Party looked over at the doctor then at the girl. When Party saw him he felt like there was something familiar about him, and once he heard the name, Benzedrine, it all clicked.

“Doctor Benzedrine?”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

    The doctor laughed and grabbed some herbs from the back, going over to stock some shelves. Party looked at the others and slowly made his way over to Benzedrine.

“Have we ever met before? You kinda seem familiar.”

“I don’t think so. I think I would remember meeting a killjoy.”

“But you’ve experimented on them right?”

“What?”

    Benzedrine turned around, Party standing in front of him. He felt nervous.

“I… I don’t understand.”

“Drop the charade, I know who you are. You’re _the_ doctor Benzedrine, you worked for BLI, you created those joy pills the people of Battery City are forced to take.”

“I don’t-”   

    Party slammed Benzedrine against the wall, somethings falling off nearby shelves.

“I don’t… I don’t want trouble. Please, let me go… and get out.”

“Everyone thinks your dead, but here you are, hiding away. This place is supposed to be a safe haven, but how can it be when you’re here. You’re probably some mole who’s going to turn this place over to BLI.”

“I’m not with them anymore!”

“That doesn’t change what you’ve done! And you’re going to pay for it!”

“You need to get out! Now before…”

    Benzedrine closed his eyes, slamming his head against the wall. Ghoul and Star were across the room with the girl, staying out of the way. The doctor grabbed Party’s jacket, he was scared, panic in his eyes.

“Please! Go before he-”

    He slammed his head against the wall again. He yelled but then he went quiet, lowering his head. Benzedrine didn’t move, but then he started laughing. Party watched as the doctor’s skin turned black and he slowly raised his head, the laughter becoming louder, eyes now completely white. He grabbed Party’s hands and pulled them off of him, shoving him away then adjusting his clothes.

“You really should have listened to good old doctor Benzedrine. He did have your best interests in mind.”

“What the fuck.”

“I’m not Benzedrine if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m better, call me Shadow. Now I would love to stay and chat but I should be going.”

“You’re right.” Sandman entered the shop, Kobra behind him. “You need to leave.”

“Oh, you’re here.”

    Shadow looked around and noticed the sand at his feet, then noticed the little bits on his hand. He sighed.

“I guess Benzedrine did managed to call you. Pity.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Kobra asked.

“Something beyond you. Now, Sandy, I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Yet. You’re not leaving, so let Benzedrine out and go away.”

“Why are you so mean?”

“I said out Shadow! Or I’ll make you.”

“That’s hurts your little Benzedrine more than me.”

“I know, and so does he.”

“You’re no fun, but fine. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at the red head over there. He upset Benzedrine, well more like scared him half to death.”

“Out!”

    Shadow put his hands up, shutting his eyes. His skin returned to normal and he collapsed. Sandman caught Benzedrine before he hit the floor.

“What the hell Sandman?!” Party yelled. “That’s doctor Benzedrine, he-”

“I know he worked for BLI. Look I’ll explain everything later, just go, please.”

“Fine. You better have a good explanation for all this.”

    The killjoys cleared out, Kobra wanted to stay but Sandman told him it was best for him to go. Kobra joined the others, asking what happened. They all knew the name Benzedrine, and it wasn’t one that brought joy.

    Once the others were gone Sandman got Benzedrine to his bed upstairs, closing up the place for the moment. He stayed upstairs, waiting for the other to wake up, it was never pleasant. Benzedrine jolted awake, screaming, Sandman there to calm him down.

“You’re okay, you’re okay. He didn’t leave the house, no one got hurt. He was only here for a few minutes.”

“Fuck. I couldn’t…”

“Don’t blame yourself, he’s a bastard and will take advantage of any opportunity he has to take over.”

“I was doing so well, he hadn’t been any trouble, I figured he just gave up. Fucken idiot.”

“This isn’t your fault.”

“It wasn’t the others fault either. I wasn’t strong enough to fight him off.”

“Take a deep breath Benzedrine, it’s over now. Do you think you can tell me what happened?”

“The killjoys, they know my past so when they heard my name they put it all together. Wish they’d actually hit me instead of making threats, I deserve it.”

“Don’t talk like that.” Sandman took his hand. “Your past doesn’t define you, you’re not proud of what you did, you don’t deserve to get beat up for it.”

Benzedrine squeezed his hand and smiled. “Thanks. Look I’m better now, you can go. I’m sure the killjoys need to talk to you.”

“Are you sure? I can stay.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just stay up here for the rest of the day.”

“I’ll come by later then?”

“Yeah.”

♦♦♦♦♦

    Sandman stayed in the shop for a moment, cleaning up the sand. He turned it back into a sphere and placed it on a shelf. He made those special for Benzedrine, if one ever broke he’d know, he’d know there was trouble. None of the others were broken, so he headed out, making sure the sign said closed before going to face the killjoys. When he got there it was rather clear they were ticked off.

“Before you yell.” Sandman said. “And say whatever it is you want to say, let me explain.”

“I’m not hearing an explanation.” Party commented.

“Alright. Look, I know about Benzedrine’s past, I’ve always known, he never hid it from me or the other suitehearts. If you think he was one hundred percent willingly working with BLI then you’re wrong. They knew he had potential and they got him involved in their experiments early on, before things got bad. You can’t possibly think it’s easy to escape BLI when you work for them.”

    They had calmed down, Party’s own anger from before subsiding. They had jumped to conclusions just based on the name and the history attached to it.

“How did he end up here anyway?” Party asked.

“I don’t have all the details but one day he just… snapped? And escaped Battery City. He ran and didn’t look back, making his way outside the zones.”

“Let me guess, he was looking for you?” Kobra said.

“No. I found him practically buried under the sand, barely breathing. I brought him here and got him back on his feet, he wasn’t happy about that. He told me I should have let him die. I didn’t get why and he told me about his past, that he wasn’t proud of it. He didn’t want to stay either.”

“So why did he?”

“I asked him to. I told him he had a chance to work on redemption here, to help people and actually be a doctor again. He shouldn’t just run from his past but try to make up for it.”

“Staying here will only do so much.” Ghoul said. “Besides, BLI think he’s dead.”

“And if they ever found out he’s not, it would be bad.”

“But what the hell happened back in his shop?” Star asked. “Who’s Shadow?”

“An alternate personality that Benzedrine has, which causes some physical changes as a way to distinguish the two. I know it’s creepy and before you ask how that’s possible I don’t know, all I know is that Benzedrine wasn’t exempt from BLI’s experiments.”

“Got it.”

“I get that you might not like him, at all, but he’s important here and he is a big help. It’s easy to avoid him, he rarely leaves his place, so can you at least tolerate his presence, heck, his existence here. Please.”

“Do I have to apologize for what I did?” Party asked.

“No offense but I don’t think he’d want to see you again either.”

“Then everything should just be fine.”

“Good. I’m glad this is over with.”

“You think this is what Horseshoe meant when he said we’d cause a little trouble?” Kobra said.

“Absolutely. I should leave you guys. I’m sure you still need to go see Donnie.”

“We won’t be anymore trouble Sandman, promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”


	4. Chapter 4

The killjoys settled nicely in the Circus. It was a very friendly place, and it was nothing like the zones. There was no struggle to survive, just peace. Everyone did their part and were always helping each other out. Ghoul liked to work with Horseshoe, getting permission to modify the car and learning the craft. Star and the girl really like working in the farm, gathering food for the day. Donnie grew to trust them, letting them help him in the garden, the girl always came home with a flower in her hair.

Kobra and Party tended to hang around Sandman. He had daily responsibilities but they didn’t take up to much time. They learned more about his powers, coming to understand just how important he was to the Circus’ safety and survival. Party also learned why Sandman kept himself in the shadows, recognizing the danger he’d be in if he lived in the zones.

It was a really nice place, but Party knew they couldn’t stay. It was about time they got back, surely rumors had been spreading of their disappearance. The plan had been for the girl to stay but she didn’t want to. She would always be in danger with them, but at least Party could know there would always be a safe place for her in the Circus. 

Once everyone agreed that they would be leaving Kobra went out to look for Sandman. The Suitehearts were spread across the Circus, each practically at opposite ends of the town. The farms and Donnie were in the west, closer to a source of water. Then Horseshoe in the north area, best to keep all the tech stuff safely away. Sandman was in the south near where most people tended to wander around, and Benzedrine in the east.

By the time the killjoys were ready to get back to the zones Kobra knew Sandman’s routines, so he knew he’d find him near the farms, checking the water pipes. He waited around till Sandman appeared.

“Morning.”

“Kobra, what’s up? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, no problems, just looking for ya.”

“Well you found me.”

“I did.”

“Let me guess, you’re leaving?”

“Yes, how’d you know.”

“I’ve always known your stay was temporary. It’s been a few weeks now, figured this conversation was coming, and soon.”

“It’s not like we won’t ever come back.”

“I know, I know. So, what do you need?”

“Well, I hope it’s alright if we take some extra supplies from Donnie for the trip back.”

“That’s no problem at all. I hope Ghoul finished all your car improvements, Horseshoe told me he’s been working on it.”

“Yeah he is, proud of his work.”

“I’m sure the rest of you will too. When are you leaving?”

“Tonight, take advantage of the cooler temperatures at night.”

“Got it. I’ll move the car over to the south entrance, where you came from, later. I’ll see you off.”

“That’d be nice.”

♦♦♦♦♦

Everyone had things to do to prepare for their leave. It was all relatively important but there’s something Party had to do. He made a joke but he had actually been serious. He made his way to the doctors place. He lingered outside the door for a while before entering. The doctor looked up at him when he walked in, his smile faded.

“How can I help you? Is the little one having troubles?”

“No. I’m not here for medicine. I came here to talk.”

“I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

“I disagree. Look, me and my gang will be leaving tonight and I wanted to apologies for my actions before we left.”

“That was weeks ago. I was never upset with you, so you got nothing to be sorry for.”

“I still owe you one. I was an asshole and my actions caused you more trouble than I could possibly know.”

“It’s not your fault. Although you should have actually hit me, I deserved it.”

“I don’t think I get to decided that. So, we good?”

“We’re fine. I’m not the kind to hold a grudge. Have a safe trip.”

“Thanks.”

There wasn’t much else to say and it was clear Benzedrine wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Party showed himself out. He didn’t want things between them to be awkward, they were on a better note now but not much changed. He wasn’t sure what to expect going forward.

♦♦♦♦♦

At night the killjoys gathered at the south entrance. The car was waiting for them, Ghoul bragging about the upgrades he added while he helped pack in their supplies. Sandman joined them, talking to Party about getting back to the zones.

“It’s a straight shot south, shouldn’t be too hard to navigate.”

“It won’t be.” Party assured. “Thanks again.”

“Enough with the gratitude man, heard it a billion times. Just don’t be a stranger.”

“We won’t be.” Kobra came over. “We’re all set. I’m gonna miss you Sandman.”

“Me too. We still got a lot to catch up on.”

“We’ll continue when we get back.” Party added.

“Looking forward to it. Which reminds me.” Sandman handed them some spheres. “Keep these with you. I’m not big on going to the zones but I have a few exceptions. If you’re ever in trouble break them and I’ll be there.”

“You made them.” Kobra examined them. “So you can tell when they break, that’s awesome.”

“They’re for emergencies, not a party invite.”

“Understood.”

“Take care of the place.” Party said.

“Always.”

The killjoys left the safety of the Circus, travelling through the desert and making their way back to the other place they called home. The sun was burning bright when they got to the zones. One of Ghoul’s upgrades involved making sure the windows wouldn’t let in so much sunlight, that way they didn’t have to worry so much about the car being a huge oven.

Upon their return they felt the best thing to do was just find a party to crash. When others saw them they were just glad to know they hadn’t been dusted, no one asked questions. From there things just went back to the way it was before. Travelling the zones and making every moment count. Even with everything being good, the Circus lingered in everyone’s mind. 

There was danger everywhere in the zones. The people fought just to live another day, whether it was the dracs or each other. It kept the adrenaline running in everyone, made sure they were always alert. It had taken the killjoys about a week to actually relax in the Circus, but they quickly returned to their normal ways in the zones.

♦♦♦♦♦

“Dude, smile!”

Party came over and sat down next to Ghoul. There was sorta celebration going on around them, music and drinks everywhere. Everyone was having a blast but Ghoul was off to the side, staring off into space, a drink just sitting in his hand.

“You look like a drac.”

“Fuck you.”

Party laughed, taking a sip of his drink. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fantastic.” Ghoul downed his drink. “Never better.”

“Bullshit. You should be dancing.”

“My feet are tired.”

“Dude, you’re not even sweating. For real, what’s on your mind?”

“Everything?”

“Okay.”

Party grabbed Ghoul and dragged him outside. He got another drink on the way out. It was dark, the moonlight illuminating the world around them.

“What’s on your mind, you’re killing the mood.”

Ghoul chuckled. “I’m not a killjoy for nothing.”

“Funny, now talk, or do I have to get it out of you.”

“Just look around. We may be having a good time now but shits bad out here, and it ain’t any much better in Battery City.”

“You’re point?”

“A reason the world is like this is because that fucken doctor created those joy pills that BLI uses. If he never did that then BLI wouldn’t be where they are.”

“That is fucken stupid. Are you drunk right now?”

“We’re all out here fighting for our lives and the fucker gets to relax in peace!”

“Do you seriously think Benzedrine is living in peace? You heard Sandman, he wasn’t exempt from experimentation, he was probably taking those fucken joy pills too.”

“You were the one ready to punch him in the face for what he’s done, and now you’re taking his side? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Excuse me.”

Both boys looked over to see who had interrupted their conversation. The man walked into their field of vision, shy smile on their face and a little wave.

“Hi. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I was just heading out and heard you mention the name Benzedrine. You guys know him?”

“What?” Party pushed Ghoul back. “Who?”

“Doctor Benzedrine, used to work for BLI, you just mentioned him.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Look, I just want to know where I can find him.”

“I wish I could help but I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

The man scoffed. “I get it. You’re protecting him, but-”

Before the man could finish his sentence he was punched in the face by Ghoul. He stumbled down clearly shocked but then glared, tackling the other. Party threw his hands up, taking a sip of his drink and watching the two fight. They both held their own, delivering a few punches and tussling in the sand.

The other killjoys eventually made their way out seeing the fight. Party told them to not interrupt the fight, Ghoul started it so he should finish it. It went on for longer then expected, the two of them getting exhausted. At one point Ghoul knocked the other dude back. He got on his hands and knees, panting, eyes flashing yellow for a moment, then he threw his hand up.  


“Wait… wait hold on.” The man was panting. “I don’t… want to fight you… look… look, I’m a friend of Benzedrine’s. I know he’s done some horrible stuff but he saved me, helped me get out of Battery City. I… I don’t know what happened to him… I… I just want to know if he’s okay. I… I’ll pay you.”

The man tossed a bunch of carbons at Party’s feet, slowly getting up. Kobra had helped Ghoul to his feet, dusting off the sand.

“Maybe you should have started with that.” Kobra commented.

“Look-” Party started but was interrupted.

“Please. I owe him my life. He hates himself for what he’s done and probably thinks I’m dead because of him. I need to know if he’s okay, I need him to know I’m okay. Please.”

Party looked at him then the others. He didn’t know who this guy was or if he could trust him, most of all he didn’t think he could just take him to Benzedrine. He had no idea what to do, but there was someone who might. He picked up a carbon.

“Alright. I think we can help you out.”

“Party.” Star hissed.

“What’s your name?”

“Um… out here they call me Mr. Disco.”

“Well, nice to meet you. As long as there’s no more trouble out of you I think we’ll get along just fine.”

“Thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful I am.”

“As long as you pay us.” Ghoul said. “Or I’ll beat your ass.”

“I will, I swear.”

“Then let’s go.” Party said. “Long trip ahead of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems the killjoys have come across a new friend, welcome Mr. Disco to the story.


	5. Chapter 5

“Guess who’s back!”

    Kobra walked into Diamond’s shop with a skip in his step. The others lagged behind him, Mr. Disco looking around when he got out of the car, the place more barren than he was used to. When he went in he was surprised by all the bright colors the shop had.

“So… is this it?”

“No.” Party said. “Quick stop, I got some business to take care of first, then we’ll be on our way.”

“Okay, so what is this place?”

“My shop.” Diamond came to the counter. “It’s been awhile since I last saw the killjoys. Now am I just not paying attention or do you keep showing up with someone new.”

“No you’re as sharp as ever. We got a stray with us today.” Ghoul said. “They won’t be trouble.”

“Better not.”

    Kobra looked behind the counter, planning to ask for a refill since he had been to shy to ask Benzedrine back in the Circus. He then noticed one of the glass spheres on the counter, he grabbed it, carefully examining. He then grabbed one of the glass spheres in his pocket that Sandman gave him. An idea came to mind and he then grabbed a glass jar from the counter. A smile grew on his face and he started juggling the spheres.

“Careful with that.” Diamond said. “They’re delicate.”

“Delicate?”

“It’s glass, Kobra.”

“No, not just any glass.” He put the spheres on the counter. “Sandman’s glass.”

“Who?”

“Wait, what?” Party came over. “What are you talking about?”

“The glass spheres in her shop were made by Sandman.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

“Sandman’s glass has a different feel than normal glass.”

“Bullshit.”

    Party grabbed the spheres, examining them, not feeling any difference. Then he touched one of the glass jars on the counter.

“I can’t tell the difference, there is no difference.”

“There is, and Sandman can also sense when his glass is close.” Kobra looked at Diamond. “You gave us one of these spheres before we left, you did that so Sandman would find us, didn’t you? You got us into the Circus.”

“I-”

“Hold on.” Party cut in. “Besides this there is something else we need to talk about, in private.”

“Oh, you want the good stuff.” Diamond nodded. “Then come with me to the back. The rest of you stay out of trouble.”

    The three went to the back, Diamond deciding to water her plants while they talked. She was quiet at first, trying to collect her thoughts.

“I guess with all your info, you made it to the Circus.”

“Yeah.” Party said. “Sandman is actually an old friend of ours.”

“Wow, small world.”

“So, do you like, use these spheres to call Sandman? And send people to the Circus?”

“A bit of both, but I don’t usually send people.”

“Yeah, getting in isn’t easy, but why did you send us?”

“I’ve know you guys for a long time now, and then I saw that little girl with you. I figured you could use a safe place, and you’re good people, I had a feeling you’d get in.”

“Thanks for that.”

“Now what did you want to talk about?”

“Our stray, calls themselves Mr. Disco, says they know Benzedrine.”

“What?”

“Yup.” Kobra said. “Apparently the doctor saved his life and got him out of Battery City, says they’re friends.”

“Friends, huh? So what exactly is this about?”

“Well, Party and Ghoul might have let it slip we know Benzedrine and Disco overheard.”

“He wants us to take him to Benzedrine, wants to check up on his old friend.” Party said. “He’s even paying us to do so.”

“And you’re asking me for advice?”

“Yes. You trusted us enough to send us to the Circus, can we take him?”

“I know you guys, I don’t know him, but… a friend of Benzedrine’s… someone saved by him… I have no idea how well you know the doctor, but an old friend of his, sounds like a happy reunion, remind him of some good things he did in the past.”

“He did do some good back then, didn’t he?”

“Of course, even though I doubt he remembers it. Anyway, I don’t think it would be such a bad idea to take him, but there’s still one problem.”

“Horseshoe.” Kobra said. “If he says Disco is out, then he’s out, and that could upset him.”

“You won’t know unless you try.”

“Then it’s settled.” Party added. “We’ll take him to the Circus, think we can get some supplies?”

“I’ll pack you guys something similar like before, the trip shouldn’t be so long this time.”

“Thanks. I’ll pay up before we leave.”

“You better.”

“Oh and before we get to that.” Kobra said. “Can I get my usual.”

“I was wondering when you were going to ask. Come on.”

    The three went back to the shop, Diamond gathering herbs for Kobra. As she did so Disco came over with a jar.

“This stuff is incredible, you grow it yourself?”

“Yup. My pride and joy.”

“Well done, I think I’d like to try some of your stuff, but I must admit, I’m a bit high class.”

“Oh I can deliver.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

♦♦♦♦♦

    While Kobra and Disco started talking about some great mixtures, Party was pulled outside by Star and Ghoul. Before they stepped out Star told Diamond not to give the girl anymore sweets. The trio stayed in the shade outside.

“Are we seriously taking this guy to the Circus?” Star asked. “We don’t even know him.”

“Can’t we do something nice?”

“This isn’t about being nice, we are getting paid, but this is still a bad idea. We don’t have the authority to just bring someone.”

“I’m sure Sandman won’t mind once we explain everything.”

“But this isn’t about him, it’s about Benzedrine.” Ghoul added. “Isn’t it Party?”

“Here we go again.”

“Yes, here we go again. You’ve been acting different since we got back to the zones. Did the doctor give you something?”

“What? I don’t-”

“I know you went to go talk to him before we left.”

“And what of it?”

“Since when do you have a soft spot for him. Benzedrine is a monster, I don’t care if he’s trying to redeem himself.”

“Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?”

“I think that psycho doctor blew it seven times over.”

“You only say that because you won’t even give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“Doubt? What doubt? He helped BLI get to where they are now! He’s as guilty as the rest of them.”

“And we’re guilty too. How many dracs have we taken out? Knowing full well they used to be just like us. We’ve all done bad things.”

“But we didn’t enslave an entire city!”

“Alright, alright.” Star cut in. “Everyone calm down, we shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves. I’m with Ghoul though, why are we really helping this guy?”

Party sighed. “If Benzedrine was really a bad guy he wouldn’t have fled Battery City, he wouldn’t be helping the people of the Circus. He already sees himself as the villian, and he has that monster rattling around in his head. We jumped to conclusions when we first met, he was just another one of BLI’s victims. I feel bad for him okay, and Disco being a friend of his, being someone he saved, maybe it could remind him that he’s not a bad person.”

“That alternate persona did scare the fuck out of me.”

“I can’t imagine what he went through to have that happen.” Ghoul said. “Fine. You just wanna do something nice for the doctor, but I don’t trust Disco.”

“You were the one who punched him.” Party said. “You started the fight.”

“And I still feel like something is off with him.”

“Guys!” Kobra came out, arm wrapped around Disco. “This dude knows his stuff. Holy fuck I am experiencing the greatest high of my fucken life.”

“First time always creates high energy, after a few times he’ll enjoy it more.”

“Well thanks for introducing him to whatever you did.” Party said. “He looks like he’s having a blast. Anyway, we’ll be leaving in like an hour, so be ready.”

“You got it boss.”

♦♦♦♦♦

    The drive back to the Circus was much shorter than before but they were still careful about being followed. The Circus was always hidden from view, but they had a key. When they felt they were close enough Kobra got out of the car. He pulled out one of the glass spheres from his jacket, he looked at it for a moment before crushing it in his hand, letting the sand fall to the floor.

    The sand around them started picking up, he smirked and put on his helmet, leaning against the car. Before he knew it the sand completely engulfed them, blocking out the sun. When it finally fell the Circus was in view, the group by the entrance, Sandman walking towards them. Everyone else getting out of the car.

“Welcome back killjoys.”

“Good to be back.” Kobra said, going over to hug Sandman. “Miss me?”

“Always. Now, am I losing my mind or are there six of you now?”

“No you’re fine.” Party walked over. “We brought a friend for Benzedrine.”

    The group started walking into the town. Disco looked around in awe, still trying to understand what just happened. He lagged behind the group, then his eyes flashed yellow and he stopped. He knew where to go and made his headed away from the group, discreetly.

“A friend?” Sandman questioned. “For Benzedrine?”

“Yeah. We came across this guy, calls himself Mr. Disco, told us they’re an old friend of Benzedrine’s. Met in Battery City, says the good old doctor saved his life and got him out.”

“That’s great, but-”

“I know, I know, Horseshoe needs to okay this. I just figured it was worth a try.”

“Yeah. So where is he?”

“What?”

    Party looked back, everyone was there except Disco. The streets around them weren’t crowded but the new guy was nowhere in sight.

“Where did he go?” Kobra asked.

“I don’t know. He was right behind us.” Star said.

“He came with us looking for Benzedrine.” Ghoul added. “Maybe he saw him.”

“No.” Sandman said. “Benzedrine hates leaving his house, he never does.”

“Well, guys new. Maybe he went sightseeing.”

“Find him, now. Please, I don’t like the idea of a stranger walking around here.”

♦♦♦♦♦

    Disco started at the sign, the cross hanging above the place. He walked up to the door, he knew this was where he needed to be. He slowly made his way inside, the place looking like the shop he had been in earlier.

“I’ll be right with you.”

    The voice called from the back, he recognized it instantly. He couldn’t believe he had actually found him. He had honestly given up, thinking Benzedrine was dead, but when he heard his name, he just knew. He looked around the shop, making his way over to the counter.

    Benzedrine came out from the back, his eyes glued to the box he carried. He placed it on the counter and started organizing the small jars in it on the shelves behind him. Disco stared at him, still not believing what he was looking at.

“So, how can I help you?”

    When Benzedrine looked back he froze. He felt that something was off when he heard the door open, now he knew why.

“It’s been a long time, Benzedrine.”

“I… I…”

“You motherfucker!”

    Disco grabbed Benzedrine and pulled him over the counter, slamming him down on the ground. He hit his head on the ground letting out groan. He started to feel a darkness growing inside him, he was shaking, fighting off that feeling.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done!”

“I… I can explain!”

“Oh I bet you can, but I don’t want to hear it!”

    Disco got him up and slammed him against a wall. He held him back with one hand and punched him with the other. Benzedrine grabbed Disco’s arm, trying to push him away, but most of his energy was going to fighting off the voice in his head. He let himself get punched, feeling the bruises forming.

“Did you think you could just forget the past?! That you wouldn’t pay for what you did to me!” His eyes turned yellow, bits of his skin becoming blue, baring his fangs at the doctor. “What you did to us! Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? Thought all those experiments in Battery City wouldn’t have long term effects.”

“I… I didn’t…”

“You didn’t what? You didn’t know? You didn’t care? Oh, I know you didn’t care, you wouldn’t have abandoned me in the zones if you did!”

“I’m sorry! Please, please let me explain!”

“After you get what you deserve.”

    Benzedrine stared into those yellows eyes, he always wanted to deny it, that no one else was like him, but reality was staring right back at him. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain he deserved, but it never came. All the glass spheres in the shop suddenly exploded, the sand piling on Disco and yanking him back, wrapping around him. When it turned back to glass, his hands were pressed against his body, legs clasped together, leaving him with little room to move around. The sudden attack made him return to normal.

    Sandman had been by the door, once he subdued the attacker he went over to Benzedrine, seeing him slumped against the floor, blood staining his lips. He checked for a pulse, the doctor was semi conscious, but alive. He looked back at the other guy, knowing he was the one who had come with the killjoys. Seeing what he had done to his friend, he was starting to get angry. Benzedrine noticed and grabbed his arm.

“Don’t… don’t hurt him…”

“What? Who is he? Is he really a friend of yours?”

“Something like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems that Mr. Disco has some beef with Dr. Benzedrine, and they might share a secret. A thrilling past to be revealed next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Benzedrine was cleaning himself up in the bathroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, noticing his eyes going back and forth from being normal to being white. He gripped the sink tightly, taking deep breaths and calming himself down. Sandman was still in the shop keeping an eye on his attacker. 

“Who are you?” Sandman asked.

“Call me Mr. Disco, no one uses real names in the zones.”

“You’re not in the zones.”

“There’s sand everywhere, just like the zones. And I was told this is outside the zones, so zones is still in the name.”

“Okay smart-ass, how do you know Benzedrine?”

“Oh, that’s a fun story.”

The door opened and the killjoys came in. They saw Disco restrained in glass, sitting on the floor and leaning against a wall, Sandman towering over him.

“What the hell!” Kobra commented. “What happened?”

“You tell me, you brought him here.”

“Hey guys.” Disco smiled and waved. “Where you been? You missed all the fun.”

“What happened?” Party asked.

“He attacked Benzedrine.” Sandman hissed.

“He did what?!”

“You told me he was a friend.”

“That’s what he told us, that Benzedrine saved his life and got him out of Battery City.”

“He did.” Disco chimed in. “I didn’t lie about that, but we had other… things to discuss first.”

“Where’s Benzedrine?” Star asked.

“In the back, cleaning himself up.” Sandman said.

“Told you there was something off about this guy.” Ghoul added. 

“Look, guys, I don’t mean to cause any of you trouble.” Disco said. “I just got some catching up to do with good old Benzedrine.”

“Can one of you go get Horseshoe?” Sandman asked. “I am not letting this guy out of my sight.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Benzedrine came into the room. “He’ll be staying with me.”

“No. Not after the shit he pulled. In fact, screw Horseshoe, this guy is leaving, now!”

“Sandman, I’m sorry.” Kobra said. “We didn’t-”

“It’s not your fault.”

“He’s not going anywhere.” Benzedrine said. “He’s staying with me.”

“Like hell he is!” Sandman went over to Benzedrine. “He just tried to kill you!”

“He wasn’t going to kill me.”

“Yeah man, I wasn’t going to kill him.” Disco added. “We’re old friends, friends don’t kill each other.”

“Shut up!”

“I’m taking responsibility for him.” Benzedrine said. “I vouch for him to stay.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I can.”

“Who the fuck is he Benzedrine! Who the fuck is he to you? You’ve never told me about getting out of Battery City with someone else.”

“Because I hate talking about that.”

“Yeah, those were dark times.” Disco mumbled. “Those times really sucked.”

“Shut up, Disco!” Sandman took a deep breath. “Convince me, Benzedrine. Why should he stay, and with you of all people.”

“Because he’s been my responsibility since Battery City. He was one of my test subjects.”

“Your what?” Party was in disbelief. “You… experimented on him?”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Disco added. “Far more complicated.”

“Someone better start talking then.”

“It’s not my story to tell.”

All eyes fell on Benzedrine, he shifted around nervously. The killjoys were still processing everything, trying to make sense of everything. Party felt guilty about what had happened, it was his idea to bring Disco to the Circus after all. He had good intention but everything just went wrong, he hated himself for causing all this trouble for Benzedrine.

“Can I make some tea first…” Benzedrine said. “It’s a rather long story.”

“Do you have coffee?” Disco asked.

“Yeah. I can make you a cup.”

“Sweet, remember how I like it?”

“Yeah. I do.”

♦♦♦♦♦

Everyone was gathered in the kitchen. Disco was out of his restraints, sipping on his coffee. Sandman was behind him, leaning against the counter, eyes glued on the intruder. The killjoys were also sitting at the table with Disco, but none had the nerve to ask Benzedrine for a drink. They were all just silent and waiting on the doctor.

“I didn’t know you were all such good friends.” Benzedrine commented. “Such lively conversation.”

“This doesn’t seem like the time for making jokes.” Sandman added.

“I’m sorry.” Party said. “I didn’t-”

“You’re fine.” Benzedrine cut in. “I figured Disco would find me one way or another.”

“I got lucky.” Disco said.

“Of course you did.” 

Benzedrine sat down at the table with his tea. The quiet wasn’t really helping but he was trying to figure out where to start. He took a moment then let out a breath.

“You’re not gonna like what I’m about to say.” Benzedrine looked at the killjoys. “You’ll finally have a solid good reason to hate me.”

“We’ll see about that.” Party said.

“Well… where to start… I guess the best place is the beginning. I created the original prototype of the joypills used in Battery City.”

“So… the rumors are true.” Star commented. “You made those pills.”

“I made the prototype, BLI modified it to be what it is today. When I created those pills I never intended for them to be used so frequently, let alone be used on an entire city population. I was just trying to help people.”

“So why did you join BLI?” 

“It wasn’t really… I never advertised my work. I did it all alone, my own lab in some basement of an abandoned building in a shady neighborhood. I helped those I could, those who came to me, and I knew I could make things better, even if it was just help people smile. I honestly don’t know how BLI found me, but they did, and they offered me funding. They told me they understood what I was trying to do and wanted to help. I initially refused their offer.”

“You did?” Ghoul questioned.

“I had no interest in some huge corporation interfering with my work, but they came back. When the world was ending, everything going up in flames, they were offering sanctuary and a place to continue my work. I didn’t know what else to do, so I went with them. It was stupid. After a while they just took my research, and they had me doing other things. Next thing I knew they had those joy pills and were using them on the citizens of Battery City.”

“Why didn’t they kill you?” 

“Kobra!” Party yelled. “What the hell?”

“What? I was just…”

“No it’s fine, I wondered the same thing. I get they kept me around in case they couldn’t get what they wanted, but when they were done I was sure they were gonna kill me. The reason they didn’t get rid of me is cause their joy pills had a problem.”

“What kinda problem?” Ghoul asked.

“This is where I come in.” Disco said.

“The joy pills don’t work on everyone, and if they don’t work the transmissions have no effect.”

“So, you’re immune?” Kobra asked, looking at Disco.

“Yup. I never felt any different when I took them.”

“I didn’t know people were immune.” Party said. “I thought BLI would make sure no one was.”

“That’s why they kept me.” Benzedrine added. “It wasn’t long before they realized some people we’re immune, so they needed me to fix that.”

“What did they do with those who are immune?” Star asked.

“They sent us somewhere else.” Disco chimed in. “This place called Dema, far from Battery City. That way we couldn’t mess up their perfect city, and they could keep an eye on us until they could fix those pills and keep us under control.”

“Dema?” Kobra questioned. “Is that some kinda prison?”

“Honestly… I’d say it is. Everything is so bland and boring, we’re surrounded by walls with nowhere to go. That place… it sucks the life out of you. So, when I was told I was going back to Battery City I didn’t really question it.”

“BLI wanted me to fix the joy pills, so they they placed Disco in my care.” Benzedrine said. “I was to use him to experiment and fix the problem, but I didn’t want to. I never did actually, I worked on the pill without testing it out on Disco.”

“But did you fix it?” Ghoul asked.

“No. Dema still exists, I knew about that place for a long time actually. I knew what went on in the city, I couldn’t bring myself to help BLI enslave more people, I wouldn’t let them. So, I destroyed my work and escaped the city, taking Disco with me.”

“Oh really.” Disco said. “Cause you fucken left me in the zones!”

“I’m sorry Disco, I’m so sorry. It was wrong of me to leave you alone. I felt you’d be better off without me, safer in the zones on your own cause I knew BLI would hunt me down. I didn’t deserve to live, not after all I’ve done. I wasn’t actually expecting to be alive right now, but I am because of Sandman.”

“Don’t give me that shit, it doesn’t change the fact that you left me!”

Disco stood up, eyes now yellow, glaring at Benzedrine. The killjoys were frozen, just looking around, not wanting to say the wrong thing and start a fight. Sandman was alert, waiting for Disco to make a move so he could take him down. Benzedrine looked up at Disco.

“You know what you did and you left me to figure it out on my own.”

“I didn’t… I wouldn’t have been able to help you anyway.”

“What about Tyler! You couldn’t help him either!?”

“I didn’t-”

“Who’s Tyler?” Sandman asked

“I wasn’t your only test subject!” Disco yelled. “Yet you left Tyler to suffer the consequences of your mistakes!”

“At the time I felt he would be safer-”

“You left him! And he’s probably dead because of you!”

“He’s not dead!” Benzedrine stood up. “I know exactly where he is.”

“Do you now?”

“I do, he’s exactly where I knew he’d end up.”

“You know that place isn’t any better than the zones.”

“Wait you know where Dema is?” Party questioned.

“Yeah, I do. Tyler’s in Dema.”

Disco’s eyes returned to normal. “And you’re going to get him the fuck out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all knew someone was missing from the story, well two someones and I think it's about time they come into play.

**Author's Note:**

> It's 2019, Danger Days, which is also the most appropriate time to do something I've always wanted to do, create a huge universe involving MCR, FOB, PATD and TOP. So yes, even if we've only meet the killjoys and suitehearts so far, Brendon, Tyler and Josh will become part of the story. How? You'll just have to wait and see! I'll update tags then, but I do hope you guys like the story!


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